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Caspar Berger (1965)

Conceptual artist Caspar Berger has a penchant for infusing contemporary issues and the art historical canon into his works. His self-portrait and personal body often serve as the starting point for pieces that delve into themes of freedom, mortality, and political (belief) systems. To bring these ideas to life, Berger employs a diverse range of materials such as bronze, silver, gold, silicone, epoxy, wood, and felt, as well as video and multimedia, or a combination thereof. His body of work is divided into a series of extensive collections, including Skin, Skeleton, Universe, and Spirit.

Skin focuses on the human skin as its point of departure. The skin defines the boundary between the internal body of the individual self and the impersonal external world. In Skeleton, Berger created an exact 3D replica of his own skeleton in 2012, using a CT scan. The concept of our “eternal” identity, one that continues to speak of us even after death, serves as the basis for this series. In Universe, Berger explores the space that humans occupy in social and political situations. Who are we in relation to our physical, social, and political space, and how does our unique identity align with the collective fantasies that shape us? As for Spirit, his most recent ongoing project, Berger delves into the theme of the mindset and life questions that arise from the human condition. Here, the notion of Spirit encompasses not only a superior meaning but also the mental stance individuals can adopt in our social, political, and societal environment.

www.ftn-books.com has the Beelden aan Zee catalog now available

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David Inshaw (1943)

Renowned for his captivating and enigmatic paintings, British artist David Inshaw has been a household name since his breakthrough in 1973. It was then that his masterpiece, The Badminton Game, was showcased at the ICA Summer Studio exhibition in London, instantly garnering widespread recognition and praise. The painting was later acquired by the prestigious Tate Gallery, solidifying Inshaw’s place in the art world.

Over the years, Inshaw’s works from the 1970s, including The Raven, Our days were a joy and our paths through flowers, She did not turn, The Cricket Game, Presentiment, and The River Bank (Ophelia), have continued to captivate audiences and receive critical acclaim. Known for his distinctive blend of enigmatic complexity and linguistic dynamism, Inshaw’s unconventional use of language adds a layer of originality and intrigue to his compositions. His unique vocabulary, combined with his eloquent and professional tone, sets him apart from other artists and further elevates his status as a masterful wordsmith.

Through the use of linguistic recursion, vivid similes, and a steadfast devotion to crafting works that defy explanation, Inshaw’s art is a testament to the power and beauty of enigmatic complexity. Let his art speak for itself as you admire the perplexing and bursting images that he so skillfully creates.

www.ftn-books.com has the Brighton Inshaw title from 1978 now available.

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Antonio Saura (continued)

Antonio Saura (b. 1930 in Huesca, d. 1998 in Cuenca) was a Spanish artist known for his surrealist style. Drawing inspiration from the works of Arp and Tanguy, Saura developed a highly personal approach to his art. His initial experiments with pictorial invention resulted in numerous drawings and paintings featuring a dreamlike, surreal quality.

In the 1950s, Saura was associated with the Surrealist group. Later, he turned to the technique of grattage and, through his gestural style, found his way to a radically abstract, always colorful form of painting rooted in an organic, aleatoric conception.

Using formal, highly specific structural elements, he eventually created the first forms that would evolve into the archetypal model of the female body or the human head, themes that would come to define Saura’s work.

From 1957 to 1960, Saura led the artists’ group El Paso in Madrid. He had his first solo exhibition with Rodolphe Stadler in Paris, followed by shows with Otto van de Loo in Munich and Pierre Matisse in New York. Saura remained essentially independent from the artistic movements and trends of his generation, although his unique style can be seen in the spirit of Velázquez and Goya.

Starting in 1977, he also wrote and designed sets for theater, ballet, and opera. Saura’s work is featured in numerous public collections, including the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin, the Folkwang Museum in Essen, and the Pinakothek der Moderne.

www.ftn-books.com has some great saura titles available.

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Imi Knoebel (continued)

Imi Knoebel’s minimalist hybrids of painting and sculpture explore relationships between color and structure. Knoebel’s nonrepresentational works innovate on the modernist ideas and styles of Joseph Beuys, Kasimir Malevich, and the Bauhaus; the artist is interested in seriality, spare geometries, reductive color, and the use of industrial materials such as Masonite. Knoebel studied under Beuys at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf and under László Moholy-Nagy at the Werkkunstschule Darmstadt; he has exhibited in Berlin, New York, Paris, Zürich, Tokyo, London, Vienna, and Rome. His work belongs in the collections of the Essl Museum, the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, the Museo Reina Sofía, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Museum of Modern Art. While Knoebel is best known for his sculptural paintings, his practice also involves drawing, photographyI, projections, and installation. His work has sold for six figures at auction.

www.ftn-books.com has several Knoebel books available.

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Henk Peeters (continued)

Henk Peeters (1925 – 2013) is vooral bekend geworden als een van de vier leden van de Nederlandse Nul-beweging (samen met Armando, Jan Henderikse en Jan Schoonhoven) en als de internationale woordvoerder en organisator die de Nul-beweging (1960 – 1965) in contact bracht met de internationale kunstenaars overal ter wereld die zich verbonden met de van oorsprong Duitse Zero groep.

Unwavering in his dedication, Peeters tirelessly organized exhibitions in the 1960s that showcased international artists affiliated with the original German Zero group, including Yves Klein (France), Piero Manzoni (Italy), Jayoi Kusama (Japan), and the founding members from Germany. His own work remains highly sought after and is featured in numerous collections and museums. In addition to his artistic endeavors, Peeters was also a long-standing member of the Arnhem art academy.

www.ftn-books.com has a very special Peeters item now available.

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Henri Cartier Bresson (continued)

Henri Cartier-Bresson was born in Chanteloup, Seine-et-Marne in 1908 and from an early age, he was captivated by painting, specifically Surrealism. In 1932, after a year in the Ivory Coast, he came across the Leica camera, which became his go-to camera, and this sparked a lifelong passion for photography. In 1933, he held his debut exhibition at the Julien Levy Gallery in New York. Later on, he worked together with Jean Renoir on film projects.

In 1940, he was taken as a prisoner of war, but he managed to escape on his third attempt in 1943. He then joined an underground organization to help other prisoners and escapees. In 1945, he documented the Liberation of Paris with a group of skilled journalists and also directed the documentary Le Retour (The Return).

In 1947, Henri joined hands with Robert Capa, George Rodger, David “Chim” Seymour, and William Vandivert to establish Magnum Photos. He spent three years traveling around the East before returning to Europe in 1952, when he published his debut book, Images à la Sauvette (known as The Decisive Moment in English).

In his own words, Cartier-Bresson described his unique approach to photography as “a sketchbook, an instrument of spontaneity and intuition, the ruler of the moment which, in visual terms, poses questions and makes decisions simultaneously… It is through simplicity of expression that one achieves economy of means.”

From 1968 onwards, he began to reduce his involvement in photography, choosing to focus on painting and drawing instead. In 2003, together with his wife and daughter, he established the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson in Paris to preserve his body of work. Henri Cartier-Bresson received countless awards, honors, and honorary degrees throughout his lifetime. He passed away at his home in Provence on August 3, 2004, just a few weeks shy of his 96th birthday.

www.ftn-books.com has some of the most important Bresson titles available.

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Herb Ritts (continued)

Renowned American fashion photographer Herb Ritts (1952–2002) made his mark in the 1980s and 1990s with stunning black-and-white images of supermodels Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell, renowned for their striking contrast and sensuality. This latest showcase of the artist’s work revisits his legacy, including refreshing highlights from his groundbreaking 1996 collection, “Herb Ritts: WORK,” a popular exhibit at the MFA to this day. The Ritts Foundation generously provided the Museum with a print of each image featured in the 1996 exhibit, and in 2007, also contributed to the establishment of the MFA’s first gallery exclusively dedicated to photography. Presently, the Herb Ritts and Clementine Brown galleries proudly present the latest exhibit, showcasing an array of Ritts’s captivating portraits that celebrate the human body and encapsulate the carefree California lifestyle.

www.ftn-books.com has some Ritts titles available.

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Eric Fischl (continued)

Eric Fischl, a renowned American artist and sculptor, has captured the attention of the art world since the 1970s with his contemplative depictions of the dark underbelly of suburban life. His paintings of that era delved into themes of burgeoning sexuality and voyeurism amidst the mundane world of middle-class America. Yet, despite the passing of time, Fischl’s work remains steadfast in its examination of human connections. His exceptional accomplishments have solidified his influence as one of the foremost figurative painters of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

Fischl’s extensive body of work, encompassing paintings, sculptures, drawings, and prints, has been the centerpiece of numerous acclaimed solo and group exhibitions. His pieces are also prominently displayed in esteemed collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, the St. Louis Art Museum, and the Louisiana Museum of Art in Denmark.

www.ftn-books.com has some Fischl titles available.

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FTN books has moved to Oegstgeest

It took us over 3 months to move my inventory to Oegstgeest, but finally, today, i can say that we have moved the complete collection of Flight To Neverland books & collectibles. Some 280 boxes with books and 10 drawers of an architect cabinet filled with posters have now found a new location in Oegstgeest. We did not plan to move for another 5 years or so, because we thoroughly enjoyed our old home, but the opportunity to buy the new location was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. A home which will suit us for the coming years. So now it is business as usual and to celebrate this i offer you a discount code until the 6th of January 2025.

Use: MoveOegstgeest

to get an immediate 10% discount at checkout.

Thank you all for your patience and our best regards from OEGSTGEEST

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William N. Copley (continued)

American painter William Copley (1919–1996), known by his alias CPLY, was a maverick storyteller, whose paintings, drawings, and installations defied the conventions of the art world. A connoisseur and benefactor, Copley forged connections with prominent 20th century artists, particularly Surrealists from Europe and Pop artists from America. In collaboration with Milan’s Prada Foundation, roughly 100 of Copley’s pieces, including paintings and works on paper, comprise the pioneering exhibition, William N. Copley: The World According to CPLY, marking the first extensive showcasing of his work in an American institution. This presentation, accompanied by a corresponding book, explores Copley’s artistic trajectory, from the 1950s to the 1990s, tracing his evolution of painterly techniques and his consistent exploration of line, color, design, symbolism, and wit.

In the early 1950s, while living in Paris, Copley honed his distinct and risqué figurative style, bucking the prevailing trends of abstraction. Developing a naive, unfiltered storytelling voice, he drew inspiration from Surrealist compositions, Mexican folk art, and American cartoons and silent films, as seen in his works from the 1950s and 1960s, created primarily in France. Throughout his career, Copley continuously revisited themes of nudity, automobiles, patriotism, and the playful poetry of Robert W. Service, also known as the “Bard of the Yukon.” Later pieces demonstrate Copley’s ongoing evolution as an artist, showcasing his sustained interest in political and psychosexual themes, surreal visual wordplay, and vaudevillian Americana. Diverse in style, these works also exhibit Copley’s keen awareness of contemporary artistic movements and his role as a bridge between the Surrealist and Pop realms.

www.ftn-books.com has some great Copley titles available.